Amber Woodford stamps a message in sterling silver to fill an online order for personalized jewelry. A home-based family operation, the work of a.k.a. originals is shared by Kim Woodford and her daughters Amber and Ashley.

Giving new life to old treasures, Darin Baumberger scours auctions in his spare time to collect items to refurbish or transform. He rescued these discarded chairs and added a powder-coated base to create bar stools.

Local artisans prepare for Cyber Monday

Amber Woodford stamps a message in sterling silver to fill an online order for personalized jewelry. A home-based family operation, the work of a.k.a. originals is shared by Kim Woodford and her daughters Amber and Ashley.

Giving new life to old treasures, Darin Baumberger scours auctions in his spare time to collect items to refurbish or transform. He rescued these discarded chairs and added a powder-coated base to create bar stools.

In his woodworking shop, Roger Foote builds toy paddle boats, miniature farm fencing and other items, primarily from local and reclaimed materials.

During Cyber Monday’s online sales focus, shoppers who want to buy locally have that chance through Etsy.com, home to several Watertown-based shops selling handmade and vintage items.

Christmas and Mothers Day are peak times for a.k.a. originals, which opened its online shop two years ago, about the same time they started selling their custom jewelry at craft shows in the area.

But business is steady year-round, and the shop has filled more than 1,213 orders since opening about two years ago.

"It's done way better than we anticipated," said shop owner Kim Woodford.

What started as a hobby that the family could do to stay connected has blossomed into a small home business. The proceeds have helped to pay for a family trip, provided some supplemental income and allowed them to invest back into the business.

Pieces of sterling silver are hand-stamped with names, words or symbols, polished and embellished with birthstones or other charms.

“We have all found our niche," Woodford said.

One daughter manages the online account and promotes the shop, another daughter does most of the hand-stamping and shaping of metal pieces, and Woodford assembles the final product before packaging it for shipping.

While most of their craft shows are in the Midwest, the shop’s online jewelry orders typically go to the east coast and California. Woodford said the shop also has a good following in Europe and Australia.

"Etsy allows us to be worldwide," she said.

Although Etsy drives the sales of the bulk of their business, a.k.a. originals also lists items on ArtFire, another online marketplace of handmade items, and recently launched their own website.

The family praises Etsy and its functionality for the success of the online venue.

"They are very progressive in their thinking," Schleusner said.

Etsy categorizes shops into two sections, handmade and vintage.

Darin Baumberger, who has operated the Mechanical Junkie Etsy shop since June 2011, browses local or online auctions for items ranging from Coke crates and waffle irons to farm tools and antique appliances or equipment.

Many items he leaves in their existing condition, others he restores. Sometimes he will modify the found item into something new.

Baumberger said he also has sold some items through eBay auctions, but since opening his Etsy shop last year, he spends more time researching items and setting specific pre-listed prices. His finds have have made their way throughout the United States and Canada.

“One thing you figure out is that there are people out there who want these things, you just have to find them,” he said. “It’s kinda fun to see where some of your stuff goes.”

Mechanical Junkie’s buyers tend to be in New York and along both coasts, but Baumberger said he also has sold some chairs for the Fossil watch company’s corporate headquarters in Texas.

He admits sales fluctuate greatly throughout the year, which is why his Etsy shop workload varies depending on his other time commitments and the demand from buyers.

Selling vintage items is a hobby for him, one that supplements his household income but also has a charitable purpose for his family, who sponsors missionary work out of their Etsy proceeds.

For Roger Foote, operating an Etsy shop started as idea for building miniature farm toys for his nephew and now fuels his obsession for his other hobby – building full-sized kayaks.

In his woodworking shop behind his house, Foote has made toys, decorative storage boxes, cutting boards and other items completely from wood, including connecting pieces with wooden dowels instead of metal nails or screws.

He said he prefers to use bargain materials, including those that are seconds or reclaimed.

Originally from Revillo, Foote lived in California for years but moved back to the area in 2001. His Etsy shop, called FootePrint, opened in 2009.

Jenna Kannas opened her Etsy shop in January of last year.

"It's a hobby more than a business. It's not my major source of income," she said. "To have an Etsy shop and be successful at it, you have to do the whole social media thing – Facebook, Twitter, a blog.”

JennaKannasDesigns’ main product is handmade art journals, also called junk journals or smash books.

Kannas alters old books that then become blank slates for sketches, doodles, collages, stamping, stenciling and writing. She creates the basic structure, including the cover and pages out of different materials, and buyers add their own content.

"It's not about making it pretty. It's meant to be a creative outlet. The end goal is just to have fun," said Kannas. "It's a hard concept for a lot of people to accept until they've tried it.”

Most of her sales have been from the east and west coasts, but some have been as far away as Australia.

"It's interesting to see where things are going," Kannas said. "It's definitely a world-wide media."

The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company features more than 800,000 shops in 200 countries. Their a nnual revenue topped $525.6 million in 2011.

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